YPSILANTI, Mich. — Well the bye week did old Uncle Mel a world of good, he is feeling rested and ready for duty but then he took a look at the schedule and could not believe his eyes when he read another road trip, this time a short visit to Kalamazoo for the Eagles to play Western Michigan University at the world famous Waldo Stadium.

This football season is rapidly coming to the finish line for both team but the ending is being covered by a thick blanket of fog of controversy in both squads locker rooms.

The Broncos falling short against Central Michigan University, the most hated rival on the schedule has not pleased some of those disgruntled Bronco fans.

The boo-birds have started to flock around the Broncos and have started whispering about dismissing Western Michigan University football coach Bill Cubit especially after what many have been describing as an embarrassing performance. The Broncos were defeated by the arch rival Central Michigan University Chippewas 26-22, Friday night Nov. 5 under the lights of Waldo Stadium.

The Broncos have made it a bad habit losing to the Chippewas, Cubit’s teams including Friday nights game makes the fifth time the Broncos have felt the stinging pain of defeat.

Cubit does know te feeling of success with the Broncos and he has guided his team in two bowl games. He has executed the biggest turnaround with Broncos in the Mid-American Conference history.

So all of those loyal Bronco followers are expecting the dark cloud of misery to suddenly be lifted- Saturday afternoon because everybody knows in the MAC, if your team needs to win a game schedule Eastern Michigan University and your troubles will soon be a part of forgettable history.

“We are going to have to play pretty hard, Eastern Michigan is much, much improved,” Cubit said about the Eagles football squad. “They play with a lot more confidence and aggression. We have to get our kids back.”

Just wait one darn minute!

Maybe the Eastern Michigan University football team just might have another chorus for all of those Bronco fans.

The atmosphere around the Eagles is not cyrstal clear or surrounded with a blue sky.

The haze that surrounds the practice field and the friendly confines of the home of the Eastern Michigan University Eagles, Rynearson Stadium is not just smog from the expressway drifting across the Ypsilanti area. There is a very dark and stormy cloud of controversy blocking the rays of golden sunshine and making the atmosphere heavy with despair.

Eastern Michigan University football coach Ron English continues to build this program brick by brick following a very precise blueprint, the five players suspended must understand that - the rules apply to all on the team.

Senior starting linebacker Tim Fort, starting defensive back Lattarius Thomas, starting running back Dwayne Priest, wide receiver Tyrone Burke and sophomore linebacker Steve Brown have been around this program in the darkest of days and should have taken a more positive role as team leaders.

English has shown these players a great deal of respect by not mentioning to the media the nature of the violations only to say that they were team violations and that he is disappointed that he had to show the heavy hand of discipline but these players have brought the punishment down on themselves.

“There are some things you can be lenient about and some things you can’t. Rules are in place for a reason,” English said about the suspended players and talking about the improvement of the Eagles. “We have been progressively improving, we have been aggressive for most of the year. The seniors want to say their imprint on this program is changing the culture in that locker room and that is why they have stayed with the team. The seniors really want to change the culture here.”

English has a long and tall up hill climb in making this program respectable and he has been given time and most of the players and coaches have accepted the plan but those suspended five players need to look deep into themselves and give themselves a chance to respect the game, the team, the coach and most important themselves.

Playing football in a schoolyard, somebody’s backyard or any type of organized football team, the players need to know and understand that there are rules and they must obey them with discipline- not only on the field of play but off the field too-in the arena of life.

The mobile newsroom for Uncle Mel is fueled up, the map has been downloaded into the GPS and the suitcase has been repacked and once again this season the Eagles and Uncle Mel are on the road again.

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Written by Mel Suiter
Graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2002 and have been working as a beat writer for The Ypsilanti Courier covering Eastern Michigan University football and men's basketball during my school career and after graduation.
I like the Mid-American Conference and the rest of the mid-major conferences.